Key keywords: Man Utd transfer news, Sofyan Amrabat, surprise summer signing, Erik ten Hag, Old Trafford player departures, Premier League transfers 2024, midfield reinforcement, transfer window deadline day Manchester United have officially confirmed the shock last-minute signing of Morocco international defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat on a season-long loan from Serie A side Fiorentina, with a reported £25 million buy option included in the deal, ending months of prolonged transfer negotiations that many fans assumed had collapsed earlier this week. The 27-year-old, who emerged as one of the breakout stars of the 2022 FIFA World Cup after playing a pivotal role in Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals, has already passed his medical at Old Trafford and received a UK work permit, making him eligible for United’s upcoming Premier League clash against Arsenal this weekend. Erik ten Hag, United’s first-team manager, had repeatedly highlighted defensive midfield as his top priority for the final weeks of the summer transfer window, citing the team’s vulnerability to counter-attacks during the opening three games of the 2024/25 season as a key concern. The addition of Amrabat now gives Ten Hag ample depth in the middle of the park, with the Morocco international joining Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek on the club’s midfield roster. Sources close to the club have confirmed that Amrabat’s arrival will trigger a wave of departures before the transfer window closes on September 2nd, as United look to cut their wage bill and free up space for fringe players to move on in search of regular game time. Scotland international McTominay, who has been linked with moves to West Ham United and Bayern Munich over the past month, is widely expected to leave Old Trafford in the coming days, while Dutch midfielder Van de Beek is in advanced talks with Ligue 1 side Nice over a permanent transfer. The club is also open to offers for right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka and winger Jadon Sancho, who have both fallen down the pecking order under Ten Hag over the past 12 months. In a statement released on the club’s official website, Ten Hag said: “Sofyan is a player we have admired for a long time, and his arrival adds the level of physicality and tactical discipline we were missing in the defensive midfield role. We have a large squad right now, and we will be supporting players who are not in our immediate plans to find moves where they can play regular first-team football over the rest of the window.” United’s sporting director John Murtough added: “This signing was only made possible by the hard work of our recruitment team over the final days of the window, and we are delighted to bring a player of Sofyan’s calibre to the club. We will now be focusing on finalising outgoing transfers to ensure our squad is balanced for the rest of the season.”